If you work in specialty coffee—whether you’re a seasoned Q Grader, green buyer, or cupper—you’ve likely heard about the recent changes to the Q Grader Program.
Significant changes are happening quickly. After 20 years of managing the Q Grader Program, the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) announced in April it is handing over the reins to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). This transition introduces a new Q system based on the recently launched Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) and gives current Q Graders to the end of 2025 to convert their certificates.
With the clock ticking and many Q Graders wondering what to expect, here’s what you need to know about the new Evolved Q format, dates, deadlines, and the impact on your cupping future.
Quality Assessment
Over the years, key milestones have marked the development of coffee quality assessment. In the late 19th century, Clarence E. Bickford, a coffee trader from San Francisco, was the first to introduce sensory evaluation techniques to the coffee industry. Before this, quality was measured solely by the physical aspects of green coffee. This foundational work was expanded upon in the following 70 to 80 years, culminating in Ted Lingle’s introduction of a systematic approach to coffee tasting in his book, The Coffee Cupper’s Handbook.
This methodology later evolved into the first Cupping Protocol and Scoring System established by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) in 1999. In 2004, the cupping protocol was further refined, resulting in the scoresheet that is widely used today.
SCA Cupping Form
Value Discovery in Coffee
As the coffee industry evolves, it has become increasingly apparent that extrinsic values—such as terroir, processing methods, certifications, and producer stories—are gaining significance in the marketplace. However, the 2004 cupping protocol and form often obscure much of this valuable information, reducing it to numerical scores that focuses on objective scoring and fails to convey a coffee’s true quality and worth.
In response, the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has been working in recent years to “evaluate, expand, and evolve the 2004 cupping protocol into a more holistic coffee value assessment system.” This new system is known as the Coffee Value Assessment tool, or CVA, and was introduced to the coffee world in 2023. The CVA adopts a multi-dimensional approach to coffee evaluation that goes beyond merely scoring for flavour. It considers a wider range of factors like subjective and cultural aspects of coffee that influence perception of both quality and value. The CVA incorporates the following aspects into analysing coffee’s value:
- Physical Attributes – an evaluation of the green coffee
- Extrinsic Attributes – an evaluation of
- Affective Attributes – an evaluation of the cupper’s personal opinion on quality, based on a 100-point scale
- Descriptive Attributes – an evaluation on flavour and aroma
You can read more about the CVA in SCA’s white paper, A System to Assess Coffee Value: Understanding the Specialty Coffee Association’s Coffee Value Assessment.
SCA Descriptive Form
The Evolved Q Grader Program: Dates and Deadlines
The Specialty Coffee Association’s new partnership with the Coffee Quality Institute aims at providing better support for the coffee industry through more accessible educational opportunities. A key component of this initiative is the integration of the CVA framework into the Q Grading system. This means that the outdated 2004 protocol will no longer be part of the Q Grading system.
Starting on October 1, 2025, the SCA will implement an updated Q Program based on the CVA, and CQI will no longer be involved in the operations of the Q Grader Program. From that date onward, all Q Grader certifications will be aligned with the CVA System.
What does this mean for current Q Graders?
To maintain their Q Certificate, all current and previously certified Arabica and Robusta Q Graders must complete the CVA for Cuppers Course. This course will allow them to transition to becoming an Evolved Q Grader. The deadline for completing this requirement is December 31, 2025.
After December 31, 2025, the only way to become certified as an Evolved Q Grader will be to attend the full six-day Evolved Q Course. Therefore, if you are a Q Grader, it is advisable to register for the two-day conversion course to ensure you retain your certificate. All CVA for Cuppers Courses can be found on the SCA website here.
